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They agreed that the remote location, which is just off Peppard Road, does not have the infrastructure in place to support such a large development.

Councillor Anthony Dearlove, who sits on the committee, said: "I voted against the application. The main reason was the number of houses being proposed in a parish of such a small size.

"There would be a 170 per cent increase in the number of residents, that's based on the number of dwellings.

"Because we don't have a five-year land supply in South Oxfordshire, with any new development you have to prove that demonstrable harm would not outweigh the benefits.

"But this development would not improve the community, I think it could potentially destroy it.

"If you take any village and double its size, then you will cause harm."

The news will come as a relief to members of Reading Borough Council and Emmer Green Residents' Association, as they had raised concerns about the huge impact it could have on roads and schools.

In a written objection, the council said the "proposed development is unlikely to function or operate in a sustainable manner" if it was built in an area which has very few public transport links.

"It was a nice design but in the wrong place"

"The infrastructure to support it is just not in place. It would have had made a massive difference to the lifestyles of people living nearby," said Councillor Joan Bland, who also sat on the planning committee.